The Blog 3- Catch 22

Without experience you can't get a job and without a job you can't get experience---------Catch 22
This is the most influential book to me after I came to America.  Catch 22 is a novel by the American author Joseph Heller. It was published in 1961.

During  World War ||,  a U.S. Air Forces  based is on the island of Pianosa in the Mediterranean Sea west of Italy.  By general rules, pilots can go back to their native country after 22 flights. Unfortunately, Colonel Kasikate always wants to improve his position who constantly increases the mission over the regular rules. Pilots get phobic and crazy. The bombardier, You Seen gets  more intense and anxious. He find a medic to label him crazy. The medic tells him that pilots can be exempted form flight by the air forces Regulation 22, but also provides that the application must be made by personally. If a person fills out,  he proves that he is not go mad.  Because the person is that concerns for his own safety. This proves that his brain is not bad. So the regulation is a fool's trap. When the pilots risk their lives for the war, commanders are busy with politics and do business for money. You Seen witnesses all these unfair and cruel reality. In the end, he escapes to neutral Sweden with his companions encouraging.

Catch 22 is the first book, also is only book that I've read after I came to America. It is a modern literary genre of dark humor. The novel is full of chaotic, noisy, crazy atmosphere, But the traditional realism technique deeply attracts readers. The author uses metaphors in the novel, describes American Air Forces by referring to American bureaucracy, form its chaos, unfair and corrupt.  This dark humor novel lets me know more about America and gives me a very deep impression.

Meditations is a philosophy book by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Describes Marcus Aurelius's true feeling during the restrain chaotic world, and the pursuit of a desire to claim with his own dialogue.
Before I was an impetuous person, now I have been getting calm after reading this book. I have not finished yet this book, but it is worth  always having it.

In 1992, I asked Bill Clinton, In addition to the "Bible" which book influence him most. He little thought a moment, replied:" Mark Aurelius's  Meditations".
                                                                                     ——Gary Wells